This invention relates to a jump start assembly and a method for using the assembly to jump start a vehicle and more particularly, to a method and an assembly for allowing a vehicle having a pair of dissimilar batteries to be jump started by a vehicle having only a single battery.
There is a need for greater amounts of electrical power within a vehicle due to the proliferation and disposition of various types of electrical power consuming devices within these vehicles. To address these increasing electrical power needs, many vehicles now include, or will include, a pair of batteries which typically comprise a twelve volt battery and a thirty six volt battery. These dissimilar batteries are typically connected in an electrical series type configuration and cooperatively increase the amount of supplied electrical power to the various vehicle devices over that which is provided by a conventional twelve volt vehicle battery. These batteries also individually and respectively provide electrical power to some of these devices. For example, the starter is typically, operatively and selectively connected to the thirty-six volt battery. Hence, about thirty-six volts of electricity is needed to allow the vehicle to be started.
While these two batteries do provide the required electrical power, they suffer from some drawbacks. That is, since most of the vehicles currently continue to employ only a single twelve volt battery, should these newer dual-battery type vehicles become disabled, due to a loss of electrical charge, they cannot typically be recharged by a single twelve-volt battery and cannot be xe2x80x9cjump-startedxe2x80x9d (e.g. the starter cannot be activated by the single twelve-volt battery), thereby greatly inconveniencing the owner of such dual-battery vehicles.
There is, therefore, a need for an assembly that is adapted to allow vehicles having a pair of dissimilar batteries to be jump-started by a single battery. There is also a need for a method for efficiently jump-starting a dual battery type vehicle by use of a vehicle having a single battery.
It is a first object of the invention to provide an assembly which allows a dual battery type vehicle to be jump-started by use of a single battery.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a method to jump start a dual battery type vehicle by use of a single battery.
According to a first aspect of the present invention an assembly is provided for use with a first and a second battery which are disposed within a vehicle. The assembly comprises a first terminal which is coupled to the first and to the second battery; and a second terminal which is coupled to the first battery.
According to a second aspect of the present invention a method is provided for jump starting a vehicle of the type having a first and second battery by use of a third battery. The method comprises the steps of connecting the third battery to the second battery in an electrical series arrangement, thereby charging the first battery.